Sales Wolf Blog

Long story short.

If you are like me, you are never satisfied with the status quo.

And chances are you do not do well with "happy talk".

"Happy talk" is what well-meaning sales authors, consultants and training "experts" espouse to the masses. Their target audience is salespeople - the majority of which shouldn't be in the noble profession of sales.

Long story short.

Private Equity (PE) Firms are failing to optimize their sales teams from the very beginning of ownership.

It seems that PE Firms fail to grasp that the Net Present Value (NPV) of every acquired portfolio company is a DIRECT REFLECTION of the quality of their sales talent - both salespeople and sales management.

The short answer is, "Both."

The best salespeople are born AND made.

I have been in sales for 40 years. I have sold door-to-door as well as complex, long sales cycle solutions.

Throughout my career as a salesperson, VP of Sales and the last 17 years as a consultant, I have had the privilege of engaging many truly amazing Sales Wolves. We call the best salespeople, those who consistently sell in the top 20th percentile, "Sales Wolves".

Despite my extensive sales hiring experience, you would perhaps think I should have perfected the ability consistently identify top salespeople by merely shaking their hand and a brief interview, right?

Wrong.

Human bias usually leads to poor sales hiring outcomes.

It much more than a handshake and brief interview to consistently identify and hire Sales Wolves.

Positive dialogues are those that advance understanding and value for both the buyer and seller. Call me and debate with me. If you are increasing my understanding and creating value, I am going to engage you.

The need to be viewed as nice is a serious barrier to winning in most sales environments. It is pounded into our heads at a young age and throughout our professional lives, "the nice guy/gal finishes first."